In times of darkness – let there be light

So many churches are closed these days for security purposes. but venture out into the countryside away from the big towns and cities and the chances are you will find a small village church with its doors open, ready to accept those who seek a liitle peace for quiet contemplation and prayer.

One such church is in the tiny hamlet of South Stoke to the north of Arundel in West Sussex. One road in and one road out, this beautifully situated church lies close to the River Arun, as it weaves its way south through Arundel and on towards Littlehampton, where its waters meet the English Channel.

Inside the church it has the appearance that very little has changed for hundreds of years. The pulpit is lit during daylight hours by a stained glass window, but in times of darkness the flame of a candle would shine its light on the The Bible which already open for the next reading.

This shot was taken with a Leica M Monochrom and 50mm Summilux lens, then processed in Lightroom and Silver Efex Pro. Being a rangefinder and given the main subject of the picture was quiet close to the camera, I encountered the parallax issue, which means that what you see through the viewfinder is not what you get, because the viewfinder is not centred on the same plane as the lens. It was important for me to make sure that the candle was in front of the dark background and not the light coming through the window on the left. I had to adjust my position on a few occasions to get the composition I was looking for.

2 Responses to “In times of darkness – let there be light”

I share your disappointment about ‘shut’ churches – churches are often surprising places for photography. This is a great composition with the careful choice of viewpoint. The highlight on the lectern is also a crucial ingredient – echoing the highlight on the window cill